Carrie and Josh

How We Met

My sister and brother in law invited me to go out with them and a group of friends on New Year’s Eve 2015. Josh was in the group of friends there that night. I could tell he was interested in me but I had already declared that my resolution for 2016 was to focus on myself and my daughter. I was done with the dating scene and very happy on my own; I didn’t feel like I needed or wanted to invite anyone else into my life. While Josh picked up on my “independent woman” signals that night, he still asked me if he could call me sometime and I agreed. We chatted via text for a few weeks before Josh asked me out on a date. Even then, I was still hesitant but I accepted his invitation.

How He Asked

I was completely surprised when Josh proposed! We had talked about getting married and even went ring shopping to get an idea of what type of ring I like but I had no idea he was going to propose the night that he did.

We had a weekend planned at Disneyland for “Dapper Day.” On Saturday, April 22, Josh and I went to the Disneyland front gates to get in and my pass was blacked out for that day. I told him it wasn’t a big deal and that we could just walk around Downtown Disney because we were really there for tomorrow’s Dapper Day event anyway. Josh was so intent on getting into Disneyland that day so we paid to upgrade my annual pass and went into the park. (Clue #1 that I was clueless to)

When we first got into Disneyland, Josh said he had to use the restroom and asked me to get in line to buy a coffee. I got the coffee and waited for him. He texted me saying there was a long line and asked me if I wouldn’t mind getting in line to buy a corn dog. (Clue #2 that I was clueless to) As I was waiting in these food and drink lines, Josh was ironing out plans with the Disneyland cast members at City Hall for his big proposal. He was over there being wonderful and I was in line sending him poop emojis because I thought he was in the restroom this whole time!

When he was done, we met back up. Josh and I walked around the park and went on a few rides. Later in the afternoon, he asked me to get another coffee. (Clue #3 that I was clueless to) He needed to go back to City Hall to ensure that the plan was set. Though we were on our 3rd coffee from the day, we decided to leave the park to check in to our hotel for the night. We took about a 20-minute nap, freshened up, and went back to Disneyland to eat dinner at the Red Rose Tavern. In hindsight, I realize how rushed Josh was during dinner but at the time, I didn’t notice (Clue #4 that I was clueless to).

When we were done eating, Josh asked me if I wanted to go on the Storybook boat ride because “some guy in the restroom gave him a FastPass for the ride.” (Clue #5 I was clueless to; the Storybook boat ride does NOT have FastPass access!) I said yes and we cut the line, going straight to the front. Josh gave the cast member at the ride his “FastPass.” The guy told us that the firework show was about to start and when it did, the boat would have to stop and the ride would resume when the show was over.

So Josh and I got on the boat and it was only Josh, the boat driver, and I aboard. (Clue #6 that I was clueless to; this boat holds about 10 – 12 people so the fact that it was just us really should have clued me in). As soon as we left the dock, the firework show started so the boat pulled away just enough to stop right under the firework show and right in front of the ride’s floral sign. I thought to myself how lucky we were to get to the boat in perfect timing for the firework show to start, have the boat to ourselves, and us to have the best seats in the house! Still clueless to what was about to go down.

As the firework show went on, Josh asked the boat driver at least three times if the grand finale was about to start (Clue #7 that I was clueless to). By the third time he asked, I jokingly asked him if he had somewhere else to be. Josh just kind of nervously laughed it off. When the grand finale finally started, Josh got down on his knee and in my shock, I said, “are you seriously doing this right now?” (He later told me he was terrified that my asking that meant he shouldn’t be!) He said, “yes,” and continued on, saying the most wonderful loving things that I could never properly rephrase and asked me to marry him. I ecstatically said yes! Each time I think about all of the clues that led to such a perfect, amazing, magical, thoughtful, special, memorable proposal, I laugh at myself. But I’m also so grateful that it truly was the surprise that it was.

By the way, because we had only just pulled away from the dock when we got on the boat, right after we got engaged and are super lovey and excited, we had to sit through the Disneyland boat driver giving his full spiel of the ride! It was pretty funny.